Frédérique Lenger facts for kids
Frédérique Papy-Lenger (born August 12, 1921 – died January 9, 2005) was a Belgian mathematician. She was also a teacher and expert in how to teach math. She played a big part in the New Math movement during the 1960s and 1970s. This movement changed how math was taught in schools.
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Early Life and Education
Frédérique Lenger was born on August 12, 1921, in Arlon, Belgium. She was one of three daughters. Her father was a lawyer. She first studied classic subjects at the Lycée Royal d’Arlon.
University Studies During Wartime
From 1939 to 1943, she studied mathematics at the Université libre de Bruxelles. She earned a special degree called a licentiate. The university officially closed in 1941 because of the German occupation. But Frédérique continued her studies secretly.
Achieving Her Doctorate
In 1968, she earned her doctorate degree. Her research was split into two parts. One part focused on how to teach mathematics. The other part looked at geometric transformation groups, which are about shapes and how they change.
Her Career in Mathematics
Frédérique Lenger started her teaching career in 1947. She taught mathematics at l’Ecole Decroly until 1950. During this time, she also worked with a mathematician named Paul Libois. He encouraged her to research projective geometry and triality. This work was important and later connected to the research of another famous mathematician, Jacques Tits.
Returning to Arlon
In 1950, she joined the math faculty at the Lycée Royal d’Arlon. She was later promoted in 1957. She became the prefect at Arlon and the director of the State Normal School there.
Teaching and Leadership in Brussels
In 1960, she became a math professor at the Berkendael State Normal School in Brussels. A year later, in 1961, she helped start the Centre Belge de Pédagogie de la Mathématique. This center focused on improving how math was taught in Belgium.
Work in the United States
From 1974 to 1980, Frédérique worked in the United States. She was part of the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program in St. Louis, Missouri. She returned to Berkendael in 1980. She officially retired in 1981. However, she continued to volunteer at a French school in Nivelles until 1992.
Key Contributions to Math Education
Frédérique Lenger began working on a new, modern math curriculum for schools in 1958. She worked with Willy Servais and also with Georges Papy. She married Georges Papy in 1960.
New Teaching Methods for Young Children
With Madeleine Lepropre, Frédérique ran a special training program in 1958–1959. This program taught kindergarten teachers how to use the new math curriculum. The kindergarten students loved the new material, which was very encouraging.
Developing High School Programs
In the mid-1960s, she worked with Georges Papy to create a six-volume math program for high schools. This program was based on the ideas of set theory and abstract algebra. These are important areas of modern mathematics.
Speaking at International Conferences
Frédérique was invited to speak at the first International Congress on Mathematical Education. She talked about using a "minicomputer" method. This method helped teach schoolchildren about binary number arithmetic. Binary numbers are the language computers use.
Founding International Groups
In 1971, she became the first president of the International Research Group in Mathematical Pedagogy. This group focused on studying how math is taught around the world.
Her Published Books
Frédérique Papy-Lenger wrote several books to help teach math. Some of her books include:
- L'enfant et les graphes (1968)
- Mathématique moderne (1970)
- Modern mathematics (two volumes, 1968 and 1969)
- Graph Games (1971)
- Graphs and the Child (1979)
She also created many educational booklets. These were published through the Belgian Center for the Pedagogy of Mathematics and the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program.
Legacy
A street in Arlon is named after her. It is called rue Frédérique Lenger. This shows how important her work was.
